The Shadow Hunter
by Lady Leikela
Summary: Based around the general theame of Van Helsing, this is about a girl named Akela who loses her last existing family to a vampire. Soon however she decides to pursue a new life, aside from the one her mother had for her, and becomes a famous vampire hunter
1. Before Her Time

_**The Shadow Hunter**_

**_October 31st. 1895_**

The rain pounded on the cat's back as it ran for shelter. It's black fur blended in with the pitch-black surrounding it. The cat ran desperately through the open door of a nearby inn. The Shadow Light Inn's inhabitants watched as the cat ran into one of the rented rooms.

The stories at that time told of black cats coming to their vampire masters just before they made a kill, and thus, the men ran, hoping they would not become the next lifeless corpse to lay on the cold wood floor of the inn. A stifled scream came from the room that the cat had entered. Akela, a young girl about twelve stayed behind in the common room. She watched as a pool of blood spread from beneath the door. Her shock soon turned to fear as she realized that her mother, the family she had left, was inside that very room. The maniacal laugh that sounded from inside the room was so horrible that it sent chills up the young girl's spine.

She had no other choice, she ran for it. She quickly crept into a closet. She peered around the door just as the vampire exited the room. Fresh blood dripped from his extended fangs and down his chin. He moved swiftly, leaving the cat and bloody footprints in his wake.

A raw hatred formed in her heart as she slowly followed, waiting for him to make any sort of wrong move. He led her to an alleyway behind the inn. He looked behind him just as the girl dashed behind a trash can that had been left at the entrance to the ally. Her hands shook with fear and anger as she looked at the vampire.

He turned around, facing the wall that kept him from his freedom. The girl pulled out a pocketknife that she kept close to her at all times. She made up her mind and lunged at the vampire, holding her knife at the level of his heart. Unfortunately her plan had not included what to do if the vampire dodged and disarmed her. After doing so he simply laughed at her derisively.

"Don't tell me youthought you could kill _me_?" He mocked. Her earlier resolution now gone, she began to shake with fear and an overwhelming anger.

"I-I-I c-can't." She stammered, knowing that someday her words would be wrong. He stepped toward her, slowly so that he would not scare her anymore than he had already.

"I could kill you, you know." He told her, stroking her neck in a seductive manner. Akela trembled with fear at the thought of what he might do to her. "But…you might be useful in the future." He paused and ceased the stroking. "Then again…no, that was just a one time incident; it shall not happen with you." He said more to himself than to her.

His words confused her but she hung on every one, hoping they would not mean what she was thinking. 'Help vampires?' she thought to herself, terrified. Before she could think much more, the vampire continued.

"In 20 years I will seek you out. And just remember one thing." He said, thinking the girl would believe anything he told her. "If you ever harm a vampire, you will be dead before the next dawn." He warned Akela.

And with that, he left her to grow up with no mother, and leaving her no family left. The vampire's audacity that night would some day mean his death. His stupidity would cause the death of countless other vampires. For what he did not know was that that girl would some day become the most feared vampire hunter in the world, known only as The Shadow Hunter.


	2. Just Another Vampire

_**Chapter Two: Just Another Vampire**_

**_10 years later_**

Bang! A miniature metal stake shot from her gun and implanted itself in the vampire's shoulder. The blood splattered against the wall as the vampire flew back. The hole in the middle of his chest bleed profusely. Akela's black overcoat was now splattered with the glistening red of the vampire's freshly shed blood. She approached the vampire, known as Uku, thinking he had been knocked out from the shock of the stake. She knelt next to his body, looking him over with disgust.

Before she knew what had happened her neck was caught in Uku's callused hand. He pulled her neck closer towards his lips. She strained her head up with ever muscle she had, but in vain against his overpowering strength. Soon the cold touch of his lips met her neck as his fangs pierced through the thin protection that her skin provided. Her first instinct having failed her, she attempted her second.

She kneed him in the side, loosening his grip. Akela stood up swiftly, grabbing her wooden stake from its pouch and thrust it into his heart. The blood that had collected in Uku's mouth sputtered outwards as his breaths grew weaker. At last they failed all together, leaving Akela alone in the dark alley. She glanced around at the dozens of trashcans in the alley, half of which were now lying on their sides. Her breath came out in steady puffs of steam. Folding her arms around herself, she made her way back onto the street.

Once back out on the street Akela slipped between the shadows cast by the moonlight. She made her way back to the concealed 'apartment' that was hidden in the ground (accessed through a trap door disguised as a welded manhole). Once Akela found the right alley she lifted the trap door and eased herself down into the hole.

Once inside she wandered rhythmically around the room and light the candles that were bolted to the walls. She removed her black overcoat and set it on the floor. Pulling out a primitive first aide kit she began to clean out her wound with a homemade cleanser that eliminates the effect of the venom that was injected by Uku's fangs.

When at last Akela completed her task of cleaning her wound, she turned to relax for the rest of the night. Shortly after diving into a book titled _'The Uses of Garlic against Vampires and it's many Forms', _Makala (Akela's friend and partner) entered the apartment. Makala was exhausted from the day's work (as she actually had a job that she went to instead of wandering around on nights with a full moon and shoving stakes into peoples hearts).

"Who was it tonight?" Makala asked as she dropped her bag on an old chair by the fire. Upon seeing the blood stained overcoat that lay on the floor to Akela's side Makala tensed a little. Akela looked up from her book and placed it on the table next to her.

"It was Uku," She replied casually.

"Damn, how could you let him bite you? You've been tracking vampires for two years already!" Makala yelled, noticing that Akela had not put a bandage over her bite. Akela glared at her, refusing to answer. An expectant silence filled the air before she finally decided to answer.

"Does it matter? It comes with the job."

"It's not a job. It is an obligation that you put upon yourself. One that you should never have chosen to undertake." She added stiffly.

"What does it matter to you? I know what I have done and I can accept that. That fool vampire that killed my mother is the reason I started this, you know that well enough. " She paused, allowing this statement to settle. "Come take a look at this bite, and bandage it for me will you?"

Makala examined it for a moment then began to wrap a soft, clean bandage around Akela's neck.

"Well you got lucky this time, it's not as bad as it could have been." She stated. Akela sighed and slowly stood up after Makala finished doctoring her wound. She walked over to the bookshelf and placed her book back into the only available spot.

"I'm going to bed." Akela said, slowly pacing the floor to her bedroom. "Oh and I wanted to go the 30 miles back home tomorrow. That way we will have the full month of October to explore and find all the necessary shops as well as finding out where all the vampires linger around there. Is that alright with you?" Makala only nodded her approval.

Akela crawled into bed that night, waiting for the next day like a child on Christmas Eve. For tomorrow, she knew, would be one step closer to gaining the revenge she so wanted on her real mother's behalf.

A/N: I apologize for it taking so long to post this as I have had a lot to deal with ever since I posted the first chapter. Thanks for the support and for the reviews!


End file.
